'3 Amigos' Fighting To Be Bucs' Other Back

August 14, 1988|By Jerry Greene of The Sentinel Staff

Don Smith loves the roar of the crowd, Kerry Goode loves being healthy again and Lars Tate hopes to prove himself both lovable and healthy. Together, they are the ''Three Amigos'' who are fighting for one starting role with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The position in question is ''running back,'' the generic term Tampa Bay uses for the player who lines up as either a tailback or halfback. Team all- time leading rusher James Wilder is the fullback, no question there.

But the starting ''running back'' is a mystery man. Jeff Smith, acquired from Kansas City for an eighth-round draft pick last year, started nine of 12 games in that role for the Bucs in 1987. Smith is versatile, rushing for 309 yards and receiving for 197, but not the man Tampa Bay wants in its starting backfield.

Don Smith is coming off back surgery.

This Smith is talented and versatile. In last week's preseason loss to Indianapolis he gained 18 yards on four runs and another 35 on three receptions. He looks like a true deep receiving threat over the middle. And, as a former quarterback, he's capable of throwing, too.

''It was good to hear the cheering crowd again,'' Smith said. ''It was a preseason game, but it meant a lot of me.''

It may have meant more to rookie Goode. He was SEC Freshman of the Year at Alabama but a knee injury ruined the rest of his collegiate career. However, he looked fine last week, gaining 48 yards on seven carries and scoring the Bucs' only touchdown on a 7-yard run against the Colts.

Goode: ''I just thank God I'm getting the opportunity to play. Staying healthy has been my problem, but I feel great now.''

More than Tate can say. While Goode was a seventh-round draft pick, Tate was picked in the second round after 3,017 career rushing yards at Georgia, second only to Herschel Walker there.

But nothing has worked for Tate so far. He missed the minicamp with a minor injury, then missed the first five days of camp as a holdout. And he missed the game with the Colts because of a minor knee injury.

The Bucs expected to take a long look at Tate Saturday night against Cleveland.

Bucs Coach Ray Perkins thinks he may have three fine running backs in Don Smith, Goode and Tate, along with a hard-working overachiever in Jeff Smith. At least one, however, will have to go.

''We've become good friends,'' Don Smith said. ''We're competing among ourselves, but we're also on the same team. We all want to build a winner here.''